Circumcision instrument



Oct 1959 J. c. FREDA 3,473,533

CIRCUMGISION iNSTRUMENT I Filed July 7, 1967 I N VEN TOR.

BY TOI 'IN C. FREDA A TTORNEY United States Patent 3,473,533 CIRCUMCISION INSTRUMENT John C. Freda, 3288 State Highway 27, Franklin Park, NJ. 08823 Filed July 7, 1967, Ser. No. 651,756 Int. Cl. A61b 17/326; B26d /42 US. Cl. 128-305 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many types of apparatus are known in the prior art for performing circumcisions. However, for all practical purposes, only one device has come into wide use, Even though this device is commercially successful, it and many devices shown in the prior art are relatively complex, include an undesirably large number of parts which are detached from each other and are relatively difficult to handle and to clean. The one most popular commercial device is particularly complex in that it requires the use of several auxiliary hemostats to perform clamping action. In addition, devices which include many parts and have relatively complex locking arrangements have been known to collapse in use and cause physical damage to the patient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The apparatus of the invention comprises a plate adapted to rest on the body having a cylinder adapted to receive the penis. A ring which carries an annular cutting blade is adapted to be seated over the cylinder. A tube is provided which is adapted to be seated over the cylinder. A tube is provided which is adapted to engage the cylinder, with the foreskin held securely in place therebetween by a clamping, hemostatic action. Locking means is provided for holding this tube in place so that the ring having the cutting plate can be raised and brought into operation to cut the foreskin.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The apparatus of the invention includes a metal base plate 20 having top and bottom surfaces 22 and 24, respectively, and adapted to be rested on the body of the patient. The plate 20 includes an opening 30 from which rises a relatively short cylinder 40. The cylinder 40 has an upper rim 50 shaped so that it has a fiat top edge 54 which leads to a tapered annular inner edge 58 as shown.

A cutting member is provided which comprises a metal ring 60 having a central opening 64 by which it is adapted to he slipped over the cylinder 40 so that, when out of use, it rests on the top surface 22 of the base plate 20. The

ring 60 includes an annular cutting edge 70 which surrounds its central opening and thus lies adjacent to the cylinder. When the ring rests on plate 20, the cutting edge 70 lies below the upper rim 50 of the cylinder 40.

The apparatus 10 includes a clamping tube made, preferably, of a synthetic resinous material so that it is cheap and disposable. The tube 80 includes an enlarged hollow lower portion 84 which has a lower end 88. This lower end 88 mates with upper end 50 of cylinder 40 and includes a fiat wall 90 shaped to seat on and mate with the upper fiat wall 54 of cylinder 40 and an adjacent slanted wall 94 which is tapered to match the taper of the inner wall 58 of the rim of the cylinder 40. The fiat wall 90 extends laterally sufiiciently to form a narrow annular ring 95 which is positioned vertically above the cutting edge 70 of ring 60 and serves as an anvil therefor. The enlarged portion 84 of the clamping tube 80 tapers into a smaller diameter cylindrical portion which itself terminates in an upper end which is provided with a recess 130. An air hole 131 extends throughout the length of tube 80.

The apparatus 10 also includes a generally U-shaped metal upper frame or bracket having legs and and a connecting portion 170. The ends of the legs are provided with means for engaging and forming a secure connection with the base plate, This means permits the bracket 140 to engage and slide on the base plate to a position at which the connecting portion thereof is positioned over the clamping tube 80 and the cylinder 40. The connecting portion 170 of the bracket 140 includes a threaded boss centered so that the opening 200 therein is vertically axially aligned with tube 80 and cylinder 40.

A locking spindle 210 having a threaded portion 220 extends through the threaded boss 190 and is held in place in bracket 140 by means of one or more stop pins 230 which prevent the spindle from becoming disengaged from the bracket. The spindle has an operating knob 234, and its lower end 240 is of reduced diameter and is adapted to fit into recess 130 in the upper end of clamping tube 80. The spindle 210 is shaped so that it slides freely in boss 190 to permit positioning of its end 240 in recess 130 before its threads engage the threaded boss.

In operation of the invention, the plate 20, separated from all other parts of the apparatus 10 but having ring 60 in place as shown, is placed on the body with the penis inserted in the opening 30 and into the cylinder 40. The clamping tube 80 is then set in place over the head of the penis with the head in the enlarged portion 84 thereof and with the foreskin stretched over the outer surface of the enlarged portion 84 of tube 80. This operation is facilitated if a slit is made in the foreskin beforehand, and then with tube 80 in place, a hornestat can be used to close the slit. Thus positioned, the foreskin at its region of attachment to the head rests on the rim 50 of the cylinder 40 between the cylinder 40 and tube 80. Next, the bracket 140 is set in place on the base plate with the ends of its legs 150 and 160 engaging the plate and with spindle 210 vertically aligned with and above tube 80. Member 210 is manipulated to seat its end 240 in recess 130 in tube 80. With the parts thus interconnected, the knob 234 on spindle 210 is rotated to thread portion 220 into the boss 190 and thus to force the tube 80 firmly down onto the rim of the cylinder. Due to the matching surfaces at the end of tube 80 and the upper rim of cylinder 40, this operation crushes the foreskin and provides effective hemostatic action during the remainder of the circumcision operation. The ring 60 is now raised and rotated to cause the cutting edge 70 to sever the foreskin. The cutting edge 70 uses surface 90 of tube 80 as an anvil to facilitate its operation, and

3 since tube 80 is of a synthetic material, minimal dulling of the cutting edge occurs.

After the operation has been performed, the spindle 210 is raised to release tube 80 which can now be removed, and then the entire apparatus can be removed from the body. The apparatus can now be disassembled into its parts, and it can be easily washed and sterilized. Normally tube 80 would be discarded.

Under some circumstances, if the foreskin is too large to seat tightly on portion 84 of tube 80, it may be clamped or tied to tube 80 to hold it in place.

With the apparatus of the invention, a circumcision can be performed with ease in about 40 seconds, whereas other apparatus which is used requires close to two minutes. In addition, only one auxiliary hemostat need be used, and the few separable pieces of the apparatus are easy to maintain.

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical instrument comprising a base adapted to rest on the body of the patient,

a hollow cylinder rising from said base and communicating with an opening in the base adapted to receive the penis of the patient,

said hollow cylinder having an upper rim,

a ring having a cutting edge threaded on said hollow cylinder and slidable thereon,

a hollow tube having (1) a lower rim adapted to seat on said upper rim of said hollow cylinder and adapted to receive the head of the penis with the foreskin between said lower rim and said upper rim, and (2) a tubular body which terminates in an upper end,

a frame adapted to be secured to said base and having a portion adapted to engage said upper end of said hollow tube and apply pressure thereto to lock it in place in engagement with said hollow cylinder.

2. A surgical instrument comprising a horizontal base adapted to rest on the body of the patient and having an opening therein,

a hollow cylinder rising vertically from said base and communicating with said opening in the base and adapted to receive the penis of the patient,

said hollow cylinder having an upper rim,

a ring having an annular cutting edge vertically slidably mounted on said hollow cylinder,

a hollow tube having (1) an enlarged lower portion and a lower rim adapted to seat on said upper rim of said hollow tube and adapted to receive the head of the penis with the foreskin between said lower rim of said hollow tube and said upper rim of said hollow cylinder, and (2) a tubular portion which terminates in an upper end,

a frame separate from said base but having means by which it can be secured to said base, said frame having a spindle loosely and threadedly secured thereto and vertically aligned with said hollow tube when said frame is secured to said base, said spindle being adapted to engage the upper end of said hollow tube and to apply pressure thereto to lock it in place in engagement with said hollow cylinder.

3. The instrument defined in claim 2 wherein said lower end of said hollow tube and said upper end of said hollow cylinder have vertically aligned and matching surfaces, including a fiat surface and a tapered surface, said surfaces mating and serving to crush the foreskin between them.

4. The instrument defined in claim 2 wherein said lower end of said hollow tube and said upper end of said hollow cylinder have vertically aligned and matching surfaces, including a fiat surface and a tapered surface, the fiat surface of said lower end of said hollow tube extending laterally and forming an annular flat surface which faces the annular cutting edge of said ring and serves as an anvil therefor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

